The settlers needed a dog that could flush a few partridge, pull down a wounded stag, or guard the farm from marauding animals and prowlers at night. They also needed a dog that could withstand the rigors of the African bush, hold up under drastic changes in temperature, from the heat of the day to nights below freezing, and go a full 24 hours or more without water if need be. They required a short-haired dog that would not be eaten alive by ticks. In addition, the settler needed a companion that would stay by him while he slept in the bush and that would be devoted to his wife and children.

__________________

"We become better trainers by refusing to swallow uncritically what is tossed to us as truth,
by developing our powers of empathy and observation,
and by searching for better ways to teach and educate the dogs we love."

I'm not sure you're reading that quote correctly. Let me highlight the important part about hunting for you.

Quote:

The Ridgeback has been used successfully in hunting bobcat, mountain lion, bear, fox, squirrel, coyote, deer, wild boar and raccoon in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

__________________Ella: 3 year old female ferretNacho: ~8 year old male ferretApollo: 5 year old male ferretSummer: 5 year old female ferretGoodbye, Rosey. You were the best girl I could have asked for. 10/15/96-03/08/13

It from the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States. I gave the link I quoted the text from.

You can certainly say what a breed excels at and what a breed doesn't excel at, as a whole. Do you have those dogs that are different? Of course! Dogs are individuals. But you can also very much so speak in general terms for an entire breed as far as behavior. Not every dog will fit the description, but most should/will. For example, you can say that an American Pit Bull Terrier will have high prey drive, but no guarding instinct. Will that be true for every dog? No. But you can say that for the entire breed.

Hope that makes sense.

And how many club officers are involved in hunting? People can write all they want about their breed, but if they don't have first hand experience or references from people who do, that doesn't make it accurate. And to say that a hunting dog, bred for hunting, isn't suitable for hunting on this continent despite all the different types of game and terrain is kind of weird. I could understand if it was about water retrieves or something contrary to their heritage, but it's not.

I've met quite a few, but only one or two that I liked. Both females, incidentally, which is weird, because I normally prefer boy dogs.

They were/are awesome dogs. Not clingy, but they carried themselves with, pride? dignity? I guess. One of them successfully defended her home from burglars, even after they threw a chiminea on her and crushed her hip. She's pretty old and stiff now. The other is around six or seven and she's a very cool dog. Bit nuts, but I'm pretty sure her owners don't do a lot of training with her or her brother, who is also a ridgie.

I'm not sure you're reading that quote correctly. Let me highlight the important part about hunting for you.

No, I understood it perfectly and I reiterated what was said by the club that sets the standard for the breed. The very first line of that whole paragraph says... Yanno what, let me just get it again:

Quote:

Are they good for general hunting?

Not in the United States. The Ridgeback has been used successfully in hunting bobcat, mountain lion, bear, fox, squirrel, coyote, deer, wild boar and raccoon in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. There have been reports of Ridgebacks having been train to point upland game and retrieve game and fowl, but their true talents lie in cornering the prey for the hunter to finish off. As a rule, they are silent trailers and only bay once the prey is sighted. For this reason, Ridgebacks are not used alone to hunt deer, fox or raccoon unless they have a bell around their necks for location purposes. They can be hunted with breeds which are more vocal on a trail.
Nowadays, fewer states allow hunting with dogs in general, so most of today’s Ridgebacks are content to keep the backyard squirrel-free or to chase rabbits in a field. Most Ridgeback enthusiasts do their "hunting" these days on the lure coursing field chasing a white plastic bag! Lure coursing is a thrilling sport and fun for all the family to watch. Read all about it in "Starting Your Dog in Performance Events."

Perhaps it is not you reading what I said and what it said correctly. I never once said that they can not hunt the game I stated. I said that per the breed standard and a Rhodesian Ridgeback true to that standard would not be suitable for that sort of hunting. That is exactly what this paragraph is stating as well. It is stating the RR (true to standard) is not SUITABLE for that type of hunting. Not that it can't. And I never said that it can't, either. Of course you have dogs that are the exception...another thing I tried to explain, but things must have gotten lost in translation. You can make general comments about a breed and a breed standard...but never once did I say that ALL RR's will be that way. The same way you can say that an American Pit Bull Terrier will not herd. This is true for the breed, but not necessarily for all individual dogs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romy

And how many club officers are involved in hunting? People can write all they want about their breed, but if they don't have first hand experience or references from people who do, that doesn't make it accurate. And to say that a hunting dog, bred for hunting, isn't suitable for hunting on this continent despite all the different types of game and terrain is kind of weird. I could understand if it was about water retrieves or something contrary to their heritage, but it's not.

That is the club that founded the breed in the United States after they came from overseas. I would definitely say that when it comes to the breed standard that they set, they know what they are talking about.

Also, these dogs were bred for hunting, but not just general hunting. They were bred for tracking down and holding lion (big game), in a semi-open terrain, in packs, stalking silently and baying when the prey is found. They would often lose dogs. As said in the paragraph, most states do not allow this type of hunting with the type of game found in the US. The breed standard says these dogs are not suitable for this type of hunting, not that they can't...but that they are not suitable.